Not Yet A Master
by TheDarkFlameMaster
Summary: Benjamin has always had one dream. To be a Dragon Master. But when the usual methods of training under the Elders of Blackthorn city don't stick, they send him on a journey across the Johto region. Believing firmly that, in order to become a master he has to be a good trainer first, Ben is ready to meet a new world of friends, villains and Pokemon! OCs are welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so writer's block well and truly sucks. But for everyone who reads my ROTBTD story, I'm sorry. I'm working on getting my muse back for that. I've just finished high school and I'm working through the publication process of a short story of mine so yay! Anyways, I don't own the world of Pokemon, but I do own the original characters. If you want to submit an OC, message me and I'll give you the form.**

* * *

The worst part of my day is always meditating. It calls for complete and utter focus. In a cave, you think that would be easy to do.

It's really not. Especially if you have ADD.

The day everything started, I was sitting on the cool stone floor of the Dragon's Den. I wore my standard gi, black cloth with red lining, with my legs crossed tightly over each other. My eyes were closed and my fists pressed together. Lance always told us that this pose was used to channel our chi, making it easier to communicate and harmonize with the hearts of Pokemon. He said it was a fundamental of being a trainer.

I'd been trying to keep my mind on my chi. Picturing it as a flowing river, all that. But my mind never stayed on it. It would always drift, bringing me back to an old memory.

_It was the first Pokemon battle I had ever seen. I was only about four at the time. A boy, Gold I think, had come to Blair's gym. Blair, ever the pleasant soul, insulted him before their battle began. I had been invited by the elders to watch Blair, to see if I could stomach the sight of a battle._

_I can still remember the way her Dragonair moved, twisting and twirling through the air with too much grace for it to have been natural. Gold's Feraligatr, a monster of a pokemon that made me feel smaller than an Oddish, was the definition of power house. Its very step cracked the earth and its roars shook the walls._

_"Do you see that, Ben?" The Elder had asked me, pointing through the plexi glass window. My eyes were pressed against it, watching the battle in complete and utter awe. But it was at that time I fell in love with dragon Pokemon. As powerful as Feraligatr was, with its hydro pumps that left holes in solid bed rock, Dragonair was what caught my eye._

_"Elder, I want to be a Dragon Master," I had said, looking up at him from my perch on top of a stool. He gave me the kindest smile I had ever seen and placed a hand on my head, rubbing my chestnut hair gently._

_"And you will be."_

That was twelve years ago. The simple fact that the Elder had allowed me to begin training at ten was enough to cause an uproar. Blair was furious. I thought that she was going to change the Elder's mind for sure but Lance, _the _Lance himself vouched for me. And that was enough.

But, as I sat there with my eyes clenched shut, I couldn't feel it. The flow of chi Lance had talked about. As much as I wanted to it just wasn't there.

After making myself look constipated for a good half an hour I let out a long sigh of frustration, falling onto my back. "I give up!" I shouted as I rubbed my calves, which were now teeming with pins and needles.

"Now, now," came the familiar throaty voice of the Elder. I rolled onto my stomach, looking up at him as he walked down the stone steps. "Since when does Ben Blackthorn give up?"

"I've been doing this.. Chi exercise for six years and it ain't working," I told him, sitting up straight again. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this."

"I was beginning to wonder the same thing," He said and my heart sunk. "Don't look so upset. I'm just saying that maybe traditional exercises won't work for you."

When he finally stood next to me I joined him, forgetting that I'd have to look down. "It took you six years to figure that out, Old Man?"

_Crack! _His cane slapped against my side, sending a buzz of pain through my whole body. "Watch how you speak to me," He said, his voice gruff, but his eyes were smiling. "You have not yet experienced what it means to be a Trainer. We must fix that."

"How?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"You will be leaving Blackthorn, Benjamin. Professor Elm is expecting you tomorrow." He said simply. "You will be traveling the world as a Pokemon trainer. And then, and only then, will you understand how to be a master."

I was on a plane by the next morning. It was a family owned one, mainly used for collecting supplies from around the region, so it was more than a little cramped. I sat in the passenger's seat, a tightly filled backpack in my lap. Nikolai, a senior student, was piloting the craft. He was about twenty with a thick stubble and piercing green eyes.

"Got enough in there?" He asked for the fourth time. I rolled my eyes.

"It's all the essentials."

"Is the kitchen sink an essential?"

"Oh, eat me."

"Not even a Snorlax would." He burst out into that thick guffaw of a laugh, slapping the plane's dashboard as he busted a gut.

"Shut up!" I shouted, but I was laughing too.

"Okay, okay," He said as he finally calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye. "So you ready for this?"

"Ready for the greatest experience of my life? Hell yeah," I grinned, unable to keep the smile off my face.

"Good. Just remember, a trainer is nothing without his pokemon. Treat 'em well."

"I know. Do you think if I get strong enough, I'll feel it? The chi?" I wasn't trying to appear worried, but I really couldn't help it.

"You'll feel it when you're ready to feel it," was all he said. I tried to get a better answer out of him but he wasn't budging, so we soon settled into silence.

A three hour nap later, I was being shaken awake. "We're here, kid. Welcome to New Bark Town."

* * *

"You must be Ben!" A girl screeched at me, opening up the plane door. I winced and stepped out trying to will some life back into the masses of Jello my legs had become. "The professor is so excited! I'm his daughter, Anna! Well, daughter and assistant. I like to think I help out a lot."

"Anna. Got it," I said. I wasn't trying to be rude, but her voice was so incredibly high that I was pretty sure I heard a window shatter. I stood up to my full height, blinking in surprise when Anna didn't even reach my chest. She was tiny, with thick brunette hair that stuck out in every direction and a pair of thick glasses that kept slipping down her nose. "How old are you?"

"I'm twelve!" She shouted, giving me a very out of place salute. "And you are sixteen! Little late to be starting your journey don't you think?"

"I will throw you over that fence," I said, pointing to the closest house. Anna just laughed and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the landing area.

"Come on, Daddy's waiting inside!" She said, pushing open the backdoor of the massive laboratory. I looked around, trying to keep my jaw from hitting the floor. The building looked far bigger on the inside than the outside. For a moment, I wondered if I had stepped into a TARDIS. There were books upon books stacked on shelves and dozens of machines that I could not for the life of me describe what they did. It was all just a bunch of flashing lights and noise to me.

After navigating the labyrinth of book shelves, we finally reached an open space. A slightly older man, who I could only guess to be Professor Elm, stood at his computer typing away. Two other people stood in the room, one of them a girl with jet black hair, a red tank top and silver skirt and the other a boy with a slightly monkey like expression with a buzz cut, big ears, lips and a goofy smile to match. The girl, whose back was pressed up against the wall, turned a pair of piercing silver eyes on me. "Look who finally decided to show up."

"It wasn't exactly a walk down the street," I told her, pulling myself out of Anna's grip to join them. Surprisingly, the girl was around my age, while the monkey boy was probably a couple years younger. "My legs are still flubber from the plane ride."

"We've been waiting for twenty minutes. The Professor said all three of us had to be here," She replied, standing up straight. She was still shorter than me, but only by an inch at most. "If you're going to start something as important as this, make sure to be on time, dolt."

"D-" I started, only to be silenced by monkey boy, who had apparently decided now was the time to start talking.

"Oh, ignore Lizzie. She's just grouchy. I'm Isaac!" He shouted, moving over to me and holding out his hand. I smiled and shook it, wincing in surprise at the strong grip. "You must be Benjamin."

"Yeah. So you two are here to start out too?" I asked, ignoring the glare that I could feel on the back of my neck.

"We are. And my name is Elizabeth," Miss Sunshine told me, turning her attention to the Professor now. "Can we get this show on the road?"

"Of course, of course!" He said, fumbling over a series of papers that were spewing out of the printer like a drunk kid after a party. I quickly moved to help him, building a stack in my arms. "Ah, thank you Ben." He said, pushing his over sized glasses up his nose. It was easy to see who Anna took after.

After placing the pile of papers on the closest shelf, I walked in front of the table that Professor Elm had set himself up on. Elizabeth and Isaac were already there. They were stood at either end so I had to take the middle. I made sure to keep my elbow from brushing the Ice Queen's.

"Now, you all know why are you here," Elm began, placing three red devices down on the table. "These are Pokedexes. What I want you to do is take this, fill it up with as much information on Pokemon as you can and then bring them back to me." Elizabeth snatched hers up without so much as a thank you while Isaac and I spewed them out. The metal was cool and light in my hands.

"Being a pokemon trainer is no easy task and you must have a goal for it to truly be worth while. A journey with no destination is just a very long walk. So, what are your dreams?" He asked us, his eyes suddenly becoming very serious.

"I want to conquer the Pokemon World Tournament Circuit," Elizabeth said, obviously a firm believer in ladies first. Her back was straightened and her eyes were sharp, sharp enough to cut someone. "I want to show the entire world my strength."

"I want to open up a global Pokemon day care," Isaac said next, his goofy grin spreading even wider. "I want the world to know that a love for Pokemon can encompass the entire globe."

I could feel their eyes turn on me and I was ready. Their dreams were impressive, but so was mine. I knew it was and I would make it happen. "I want to become the world's greatest Dragon Master. I want everyone to know and understand why I love dragon types so much. To become a master, I have to be a strong trainer."

Elm nodded, a small smile on his face. "Good, good. All three of you have very ambitious dreams. They will drive you in the days to come. Now," He turned his back on us for a moment, opening a chamber behind him. Out came three pokeballs and with them, a sense of excitement. He placed them down on the table, one in front of each of us. "In these balls are the pokemon Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile. They will be your partners on the coming journey.. So which will you choose?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just letting everyone know, this story will have nothing to do with the Pokemon anime. It's going to take place in the game universe, after the stories in the games. Just figured I should clarify that!**

* * *

"Who picks first?" Isaac asked, sounding a bit unsure. I just shrugged and looked at Elizabeth. She wasn't looking at either of us, instead her eyes were focused on the red and white orbs.

"Ladies first," I said, holding my arm to gesture at them. She gave me a less than appreciative glare, reaching for the orb in front of me. Of course.

"Come on out," She said, tossing the ball up into the air. In a burst of light a small blue pokemon with a massive jaw and red spikes running along the length of its back and tail appeared. Its eyes were wide and excited as it shook itself out, happy to be out of its cramped conditions.

"_Toto!" _It shouted, turning to looking at Elizabeth who had just caught its pokeball. For a moment, I could see the smallest of smiles appear on her face.

"Looks like the Grinch does have a heart," I said, only to get punched in the arm. "_Ow!_"

"Shut your mouth," Elizabeth growled, stepping over to the pokemon. "You must be Totodile. I'm Elizabeth. It's nice to meet you." She crouched down, holding her palm out to Totodile.

"_To!" _It shouted again, running up to her happily. I had heard of pokemon bonding with a trainer quickly but this was ridiculous.

Elizabeth picked up Totodile, pulling it into her arms gently. I watched her, more than a little surprised. For someone who was so tough and quick to snap, she absolutely melted when it came to pokemon. Totodile curled up in her grip, letting out a happy growl. "I choose Totodile." She said, turning to look at us to see if either of us questioned it. We both shook our heads.

"Well, you can pick next," Isaac said to me, his great big hands slipping into the pockets of his cargo shorts.

"Are you sure?" I asked. I knew that your first pokemon was one of the most important decisions that a trainer could make. The fact that he was so willing to give that up just didn't make sense to me.

"Of course. I love pokemon all the same, so I'm not that picky."

"If you say so," I shrugged, looking at the two pokeballs in front of me. I had long ago decided which pokemon would be my first choice. All those years ago, Gold had used a Feraligatr. I wanted to become a Dragon Master that was strong enough to defeat him. In order to do that, I had to be strong enough to beat him despite type advantages. "Which pokeball is Cyndaquil in?"

Professor Elm smiled and gestured to the one in front of Elizabeth. I picked it up and, with a click of the button, the black and beige hedgehog appeared on the table. It looked around a couple times, the tip of its muzzle twitching as it sniffed the air. "_Cynda__?" _It said, taking a step towards me gingerly. Suddenly, it dropped off the edge of the table. I yelped and stuck my arms out beneath it, grabbing it right before it crash landed.

"Gotta watch where you step, little guy," I said, smiling softly. It looked up at me, a tinge of pink appearing on its cheeks as it rubbed the back of its head.

"_Cyn.._" It said in agreement, obviously more than embarrassed about the little tumble.

"So I assume you wish to have Cyndaquil as your partner?" Professor Elm asked me, though he knew the answer. Just to be on the safe side, I nodded. "Good. That means that Chikorita will go to you, Isaac."

"Okie dokie!" Isaac said, obviously pleased. He took the last pokeball and set the grass type free. It shook its giant leaf out, turning to look at its new partner. Chikorita let out an excited squeal and jumped into his arms, brushing his larger than average nose with its leaf. "Th-that tickles!"

Professor Elm coughed, bringing our attention back to him. With a soft smile he gestured to the Pokedex. "The first thing you need to do is scan your new pokemon. You need to know their gender and moves, after all."

I pulled the pokedex from my pocket, aiming the small camera at Cyndaquil. In a blip of light its picture appeared on the screen, along with a small blue arrow pointing diagonally. Male. Beneath his picture was a small list. Smokescreen, quick attack and ember. "Wow. Look at you, little scraper!"

Cyndaquil let out a happy cry before pulling himself from my arms, landing on the floor. I smiled and leaned down, rubbing the top of his head. He nuzzled back lovingly. I made a good choice.

"Water gun, rage and scary face," Elizabeth said, obviously having done the same with her totodile. "Not bad, not bad." Isaac was just standing in place, tickling Chikorita's belly. "Aren't you going to check it?"

Isaac just shrugged, "The moves don't matter to me. Besides, I already know that Chikorita is a girl." He smiled and ran a hand over her leaf. Chikorita let out almost a cat like purr and curled up in his hold. "You're such a good girl." He cooed. I grinned and turned to look at Professor Elm, who seemed like he was preparing to speak again.

I took out the pokeball Cyndaquil had come in, wondering if I should put him back inside. Something about that didn't seem right though. So I placed it on my belt again, scooping Cyndaquil into my arms.

"This is the last thing you need," Professor Elm said, handing me a handful of the red and white orbs. Pokeballs. Five of them sat in my hand, empty but waiting to be filled. My new family was going to be placed in here. Excitement flowed through me, warming me right to my core. Professor Elm handed pokeballs to Elizabeth and Isaac as well before stepping back. "Now, your journey can officially begin. Good luck out there, Ben, Elizabeth, Isaac. You're going to see a whole new world. Make the most of it."

* * *

"A bet?" I asked, standing at the very tip of Route 29. Cyndaquil stood next to me, pawing at the dirt playfully. Elizabeth nodded, smirking a bit.

"I want to see which of us will complete the gym challenge first. I mean, that's what you're doing right?" It was just Elizabeth and I there. She had made me stop so we could have this conversation. Isaac was probably halfway to Cherrygrove by now.

"Yeah, but a bet?"

"It's a friendly bet. Only one of us gets to take a spot in the Pokemon League Tournament six months from now. That'll be whoever completes the gym challenge first."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. Whichever one of us does it first is obviously way more deserving to be there. So what do you say?" She held her hand out to me, waiting for the verdict.

I stood there, staring into Elizabeth's silver eyes and sharp features. I could imagine her staring into my own face. The green eyes and the pale skin. What could she be thinking when she looks at me? Does she someone she despises? Someone she isn't sure about? Or does she just see me as a rival?

No matter what the option was, part of me wanted to call her absolutely insane. Why should I risk my spot in the Pokemon League because of her?

That part of me wasn't enough to convince the rest of me though. So I reached out and took it, smirking. "I say bring it."

Elizabeth nodded and, without another word, she walked off. Totodile had been sat in its pokeball the whole conversation. I stood in silence, watching her leave, until Cyndaquil nudged my leg with his.

"You're right," I said, turning to look down at the fire type. "We should get going."

"_Cynda!__"_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so I know this chapter is pretty short but it's meant more as a filler chapter _ But I will say thank you to everyone who sent in an OC, I love them all and things are going to pick up a lot more next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, I've read through a ton of the OCs and all you guys are seriously awesome. A lot of them are going to be popping up through out the story! And thank you to SpartaLazor for the OC that's going to be appearing in this chapter!**

* * *

"Whew..." I let out a long breath, dropping on to the grass at the base of a large tree. The sky had turned dark during my day's walk, but Cherrygrove still wasn't anywhere in sight. Considering the fact that I had never been on a walk outside of Blackthorn city before, my legs were pretty worn out. Cyndaquil collapsed to the ground next to me, digging his tiny nose into the dirt.

"It's been a long day, huh?" I asked, to which he let out a tired huff. "Yeah, I agree. You want something to eat?" That brought an instant response. Cyndaquil's head popped up almost impossibly fast. I laughed softly, pulling the backpack that had graciously left a large sweat patch on me. "I figured you would."

I pulled a small can from the bag and, soon enough, Cyndaquil was digging in. I smiled, touching my own extremely rumbly stomach. "Guess I should get something for myself.." I looked around at the nearby trees, trying to find some sort of food. One quick glance up showed me some very red looking apples. Perfect for picking. "Huh. Sweet."

"Wait a second," I told Cyndaquil, but it fell on deaf ears. He was too busy eating to care anyway. I jumped up, grabbing onto a large branch to pull myself up. After that, it was easy pickings. I reached for an apple, grinning to myself at the thought of the sweet taste.

"_Ledy?_" A voice said from next to me. I turned my head slowly to see a Ledyba staring at me from the branch I was standing on. Its head was tilted, as if trying to figure out what I was doing. I pointed to the apple slowly.

"I'm just looking for some food," I said and Ledyba just stared, unblinking. It was actually more than a little creepy. But I digress. I shrugged and picked the apple, sitting down on the branch. Cyndaquil was munching away happily beneath me.

"I should really pick up some actual food," I told myself, making a mental note before digging in. The apple was perfectly sweet. I let out a happy groan, kicking my legs back and forth in mid air. "So good~!"

"_Ledyba?_" The small red and black bug had crawled further along when I wasn't looking, its large eyes staring at the apple. I raised an eyebrow at it.

"Do you want a bite?" I asked. It nodded quickly, practically drooling. I smiled and plucked another apple off of the tree, placing it down in front of it. "Here, I'll do you one better. Take it." Ledyba hugged the apple close to its body and, with a blur of its wings, it was off to another tree to enjoy its meal. I shrugged, not really bothered that it decided not to stick around and climbed down from the tree, landing on the floor next to Cyndaquil. He was still picking his bowl clean.

I sat with him in silence for a while, the only sounds being the chirping of bug pokemon and the crunching of our jaws. It was very soothing, just sitting with him like this. Beneath the stars and the moon.

Soon enough though, I was left with just an apple core. "Bummer," I grumbled and tossed it behind me, not giving much of a care as to where it landed. It would decompose soon enough. What I wasn't expecting was to hear a startled cry from behind me.

"Hey! That was rude!"

I turned to see a girl probably a couple years younger than me with long brown hair and a large wool sweater glaring, her bright blue eyes reflecting the stars. There was a spot on her pale face that was slightly shinier than the rest of it, obviously being where the apple had connected.

"You don't just throw things like that!" She continued, walking around in front of me.

"Sorry," I said, holding my hands up in an attempt to calm her down. "I didn't even hear you." She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's not the point. The point is you hit me in the freaking face with an apple core!" She shouted. I winced and, really, she had a completely justified reason to be mad. But all yelling was going to do was upset the pokemon around us. Cyndaquil was already crouched down low, small flames beginning to burn on his back.

"I said I was sorry!" I countered, standing up. The best thing to do would be to diffuse the situation before it got too hectic. "I really didn't think there was anyone else out here. Wait a second," I reached into my bag and pulled out a napkin, holding it out to her. "Here."

She puffed her cheeks out, obviously contemplating whether or not I was just going to throw this at her too. She took the napkin gingerly and wiped her cheek down, scrunching her face up at the sticky feeling, which I would have too. "I guess it's okay.."

I nodded and smiled, taking the napkin back when she was finished with it. "I'm really sorry, again. I didn't mean to smack you in the face."

"It's okay. It's not as bad as the time I got hit in the face with a poffin. That thing _exploded_ all over me. And it was jelly filled!" She said, bringing on a mental picture of her with a face covered with jelly. I had to bite down on my lip to keep from laughing, by my shoulders betrayed me. "It wasn't funny!... Okay, it was a little funny." She giggled a bit, covering her mouth as soon as it happened, almost as if she couldn't let me see that she had.

"What brings you out here?" I asked her, gesturing to the woods around us. "I mean, it's not exactly a hot spot."

"I'm on my way to Cherrygrove. There's a contest there!" She said, her face suddenly lighting up. "It's going to be my first one, so I'm really excited for it."

"You're a coordinator?" I asked her. She didn't strike me as the type, considering the baggy sweater and jeans. Most coordinators tended to be more.. Flashy.

"Coordinator, singer, movie star. Whatever happens first."

"Right.." I said, trying to keep the smile off my lips. She seemed to be the kind of person who had an infectious personality. It was easy to get swept up in. "I'm Ben, by the way. Ben Blackthorn."

"Ashlyn White," She responded, holding her hand out. I shook it and she beamed. "It's nice to meet you, Ben."

"You too. You want to join us?" I asked, gesturing to Cyndaquil. He had started to ignore us, instead going back to eating. At least he had his priorities straight.

"You're not going to throw anything at me again, right?" She asked and I instantly felt defensive. I turned to shout but she had a small smile on her lips. Oh. She was kidding.

"Of course not," I said and dropped down to the floor again. She nodded and fell to the ground next to me with a small _oof_. "Where are you from?" I figured that making some conversation would be the best thing. No one would want to just sit in silence.

"Hoenn," She said and I blinked in surprise. "I came here to try and.. Well, become famous. That's my dream. To be famous in some way, no matter what it is. My sister is going around the Hoenn contest circuit right now and I figured I'd come here. You know, beat her at her own game." She had begun to draw small circles in the dirt with her heel, getting lost in her words as she spoke. She pushed a lock of brown hair from her face, turning her eyes on me. "How about you?"

"Blackthorn," I told her, turning my attention to my dark grey jeans. "I was one of the students in the Dragon's Den. It's where they train all the up and coming dragon masters," I explained when I saw the look of confusion on her face, "I wasn't any good at it though. The training. So... I'm heading out on a journey around Johto. To see what it means to be a trainer before becoming a master."

"It sounds so.. Noble," Ashlyn said after tapping her chin trying to find a word. "I like it. It's a really cool reason to be traveling."

"Yours is too," I said, looking over at her. "A lot of people say they want to be famous but a lot less actually go out to try and do it. You've got a one up on most of the human race just by doing that."

She smiled at me, a genuine smile, and turned her attention towards Cyndaquil. Somehow he was _still _eating. "He really does like his food, huh?"

"Apparently," I said and she raised her eyebrow at me. "This is our first day together. We haven't even had a pokemon battle yet."

"Really? Well, lets change that," She said and jumped up to her feet, gesturing to one of the pokeballs on her belt. "We've both got one pokemon. Why not battle?" Cyndaquil's head perked up at the mention of a battle, a sudden excitement in his eyes.

I looked at her for a moment before nodding. There didn't seem to be much of a reason to say no and Cyndaquil was really into the idea. "Okay, lets do it."

* * *

"Here's good," Ashlyn said, stepping into a large clearing probably thirty feet long and twenty across. Cyndaquil and I pushed our way through a bush, glancing around. My heart was beginning to pound in my chest, nervousness nibbling at my stomach. "Don't look so freaked out."

"I'm not freaked out! I've seen plenty of battles," I told her, walking to the southern end of the clearing. She took the northern.

"Watching a battle and being part of one are two completely different things," She said as she plucked the pokeball off of her belt. "Come out and say hello, Burn!" She called, tossing it high into the air. It erupted in a flash of light, a small red chick pokemon appearing out of it. A torchic.

"Burn?" I asked her, a bright blush appearing on her cheeks, standing out like a flood light against the pale canvas.

"I'm not good with nicknames, okay?!"

"I can tell. Come on, Cyndaquil," I said. He nodded and jumped out onto the smooth dirt, the flames on his back suddenly igniting. I dug my heels into the ground, preparing myself.

"Newbie goes first!" Ashlyn called out and I just rolled my eyes.

"Cyndaquil, smokescreen!" Starting off with something like smokescreen, just as a way to strategize, didn't seem like a bad place to start. Cyndaquil spewed the black plume from his mouth, it writhing and twisting towards Burn.

"Burn, jump!" Ashlyn called. With a push of its tiny, yet clearly powerful legs, Burn was high in the air, flipping harmlessly over the black cloud. "Follow it up with peck!" It twisted in mid air, its beak shimmering a soft silver before it dove straight for Cyndaquil.

"Quick attack!" Cyndaquil braced himself before launching at Burn. The two clashed in mid air, throwing each other of course. They landed simultaneously, their feet skidding against the dirt. Cyndaquil shook his head out, a small bruise on his forehead.

"Not bad," Ashlyn said and I knew it wasn't meant as a taunt. She actually meant it. "Rookie's got some skills!"

"Thanks!"

"That just means I don't have to take it easy on you. Sand attack!" Burn dug its hooked feet into the ground, kicking up two large clouds of dust. The blew straight into Cyndaquil's face, causing him to cough and sputter, rubbing his eyes with his front foot. "Now, peck!"

"Dodge it!" I shouted, but before Cyndaquil got the chance to move Burn's powerful pecker had jabbed into his side. He bounced on the ground, skidding slightly. He shook himself off quickly and was back up in a second. "Okay then.. Ember!"

"Burn, you use ember too!" Ashlyn said and one look at the smile on her face told me she had been waiting for it. Both fire types spewed the burning hot clouds from their mouths. A gust of wind suddenly hit the battle field, carrying the embers away from their targets. "Oh no!" Ashlyn shouted as a few of the trees suddenly erupted into flames.

"Crap!" I shouted, looking at Cyndaquil. He had a panicked look on his face, obviously distraught over what happened. We didn't have time, though. We had to put the fire out before it got too out of control. "Smokescreen, now!"

"Sand attack!" Ashlyn said, obviously with the same plan in mind. Cyndaquil coated one of the trees in a harsh smoke, the force of the attack being enough to quell the flames. Meanwhile Burn was kicking up a storm, burying the budding flames beneath thick coats of dust. The whole process took maybe half a minute.

"Well," I said, turning to look at her. "Maybe having two fire types battling in a forest wasn't the best idea."

"Probably not," She agreed. We shared a quick glance before laughing nervously. Our battle had gotten out of hand way too quickly.

We were snapped out of it by angry buzzing. Turning slowly, I got a better look at the trees. A swarm of ledyba and ledian had obviously been resting inside and now they were angry. Very angry. A few had been hit with the smokescreen and sand attack, coated with dust and charcoal. There were almost thirty of them all together.

"Ben..?" Ashlyn whispered, looking at me from the corner of her eye. She hit the button on her pokeball, Burn disappearing in a red beam. I shakily did the same with Cyndaquil.

"Run?" I asked.

"Run."

And we ran, a swarm of angry bug types on our heels.

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**A/N: Sorry this chapter was such a long wait but I'm actually really proud of this one and I hope you guys like it! Please, remember to review with whatever you thought!**


	4. Chapter 4

"I think we're safe," I whispered, packed in tight with Ashlyn at the base of a very large tree. Her knee was digging into my stomach, but there was nothing to be done about that. What mattered is we were safe.

"Those bug types sure are persistent," Ashlyn grumbled, glancing out the hole. "How long do we have to stay in here?"

"Until we're sure they're gone," I told her. She let out a low huff in response. The buzzing of wings was still loud enough for us to hear pretty clearly, so they were still close. Very close.

Running and hiding from a swam of angry lady bug pokemon wasn't exactly how I thought my first night on my journey was going to go. It was entirely our fault too. We had been the ones who set fire to their home, so there was no blaming them. That didn't mean I was just going to let them attack us either. I felt guilty, but not guilty enough to get put in the hospital.

I glanced over at Ashlyn, who was doing her best to keep herself from being seen. She didn't look comfortable at all though.

"Sorry about this." I grimaced, looking up at her. She just shrugged, or did the best she could.

"S'not your fault. We both messed up. Besides, I was the one who suggested a battle."

"_Ledy!"_

We both froze, turning to see a lone ledyba sitting on the grass just outside our hole. Its massive eyes were focused on us, unblinking. My heart froze in my chest. If it decided to let the others know we were here, we were trapped.

The seconds ticked by as it stared, unmoving. I had never been so close to peeing myself in my entire life.

Then it waved, using one of its six legs to point to a small bush. "_Ledy, ledyba!_" What?

"I think it wants us to follow it," Ashlyn whispered. Ledyba nodded its head over and over again, pointing furiously this time. But why would a ledyba want to help us?

"Lets go then," I said and shimmied my way out of the tree. I glanced around and, sure enough, no other ledyba were in sight. Only the one who was now floating just over the bush it had pointed us to. Ashlyn crawled out after me, the grass crunching beneath her feet.

Pushing the leaves of the bush apart, I saw what Ledyba was leading us to. It was a groove in the side of a small cliff, looking almost like a slide. It vanished into the darkness of the woods, looking more than a little ominous.

"It wants us to go down there?" Ashlyn asked. She sounded more than a little worried and I couldn't really blame her. The slope was steep and there was no way of telling where it was going to end.

Anything was better than that swarm though.

"Carpe diem right?" I asked her and, even though I saw her putting effort in not to, she smiled.

I scooted forward and pushed myself, letting gravity take control. Wind rushed passed me as I flew down the smooth surface. Leaves brushed against my arms and face, a couple twigs scratching me.

"Ow!" I hissed, closing my eyes to stop anything from getting in them. My body shifted to the left and the right in turn with the groove. "How long does this last?!"

"_Ledy!_" Ledyba shouted and I could hear the slight buzz of its wings over the wind. I opened one eye to see it flying beside me, waving happily.

"Why'd you do this?!" I asked, trying to make myself heard over the wind. Ledyba snatched one of the leaves off of a branch and began munching on it. That was when it clicked. "You're the ledyba I gave the apple to," I mused. It nodded over and over again, clapping with all six hands.

"Watch out!" I suddenly heard from behind me. I turned my head to see Ashlyn speeding down behind me, gaining speed. Must have been because she was smaller than me.

"Slow down!"

"I can't!"

I felt her feet press against my back, threatening to send me head over heels. Quickly I grabbed her legs, pushing against them to try and keep some distance. "Seriously, we're going to crash! Why didn't you wait?!"

"And leave me up there with the rest of the swarm, are you insane?!" She shouted, keeping a hold on her sweater.

I was about to shout something else when I saw Ledyba frantically waving its arms, pointing ahead of us. I knew what was coming before I even looked. The bottom of the slide. The last thought that went through my mind before we hit the ground was a simple one.

_Crap_.

* * *

"I'm so sorry!" Ashlyn said for the hundredth time, placing her hands together as if begging for forgiveness. I sat in front of her with a torn up shirt and a massive purple foot print on my forehead, my hair covered with a thick layer of dust. Ledyba was floating over us, a worried expression on its face.

"It's okay, seriously," I told her yet again, brushing my hair out with one hand. A thick cloud wafted off of it, some of the dust finding its way up my nose. I twitched slightly before letting out a massive sneeze, coughing.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ashlyn asked again, a small frown on her otherwise bright features.

I nodded and stood up, ignoring the stiffness in my back. "How far down did we end up?" I asked, looking around. The cliff we had just slid down was massive. I couldn't even see the top of it from where I was standing.

Ledyba drifted down from the air, settling in on top of my head. I blinked and glanced up at it, coming extremely close to its massive eyes.

"I think Ledyba likes you," Ashlyn said, standing up and dusting herself off.

"_Ledy!_" The bug type shouted out in what could only be approval. I smiled slightly, reaching up and rubbing the top of its head. It nuzzled against the palm of my hand.

"I fed it back before I met you. It was sitting next to me in the tree and wanted something to eat so.. I figured I'd pick it an apple."

"You know, considering the fact you look scary, you're actually a bit of a softy," Ashlyn commented, a playful smile on her lips.

"How do I look scary?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you're as pale as death, your eyes are really intense, your hair's all over the place and spiky, you've got some pretty sharp features and.." She said, tapping her fingers as she listed things off. I sighed and slapped my hand over her mouth, cutting her off.

"Okay, okay, I get it."

That was when I felt something warm and wet rub against my palm. I yelped and drew my hand back, a thin sheen of saliva on it.

"Did you just lick me?!"

"Don't put your hand over my mouth," Ashlyn huffed, crossing her arms. I rolled my eyes and wiped the spit against my jeans, shaking my head.

"You're gross."

"And you're rude."

We glared into each other's eyes and I could see her lips quivering as she tried to keep an angry expression on her face. Mine were doing the same and, soon enough, we were both laughing. I wasn't quite sure why, but after the mayhem we had just gone through, some laughing was more than welcome. Each laugh took some of the weight off of my shoulders and loosened my muscles.

Ashlyn looked up at me, sapphire eyes shining with glee before something else appeared in them. Fear.

"Ben..?" She began, pointing behind me, but I already knew what was there. Our laughing had droned out the sound of their wings buzzing.

The swarm.

"Go!" I shouted, grabbing her wrist and running off through a set of bushes. Ledyba kept a tight grip on my head as we ran, making sure not to fall off.

After breaking through a wall of bushes, we found ourselves on the forest path again. Just ahead of us a sign shaped like an arrow pointing to the right said **CHERRYGROVE CITY - 5 Miles.**_  
_

Five miles. We could manage that.

I sprinted in that direction, tugging on Ashlyn to keep her at the same speed. My legs were longer than hers so, even though I wasn't all that athletic, I would still pull ahead.

A massive cloud of red, beige and black broke from the trees behind us, buzzing furiously as they drew closer and closer.

Each step made my legs burn, but adrenaline was pumping through me now. Nothing was going to stop me. Ashlyn let out a loud groan as she ran, keeping her head down low. Ledyba hit my head repeatedly, as if that would make me run any faster.

Suddenly something snapped tight around my legs, pinning them together. I gasped and fell to the floor, bouncing and rolling on the hard path. I slid on my side for about five feet, coming to a painful stop at the bottom of a tree trunk.

"Ben!" Ashlyn cried out, turning and dropping down next to me. I blinked a couple times, the world nothing but a massive blur. I could see her grabbing at something on my ankles, trying to pull it off.

One of them must have used string shot on me. We were sitting ducks in the middle of this path and they were drawing closer.

"Just go," I told her, but my words were more than a little slurred. Ashlyn just shook her head, frowning profusely at me.

"Don't be a moron." She smacked my shoulder gently and, even now, I couldn't help but laugh. Even as the swarm darkened the sky around us, she still managed to make me laugh. I closed my eyes, waiting for the numerous bugs to descend on us, but it never happened. Their buzzing was still angry and fierce, but they hadn't attacked. Why?

"_Ledyba! Ledy, led, ledyba!" _When I had fallen Ledyba must have flown off of me, because it was now the only thing protecting us from its companions.

A single Ledian broke rank and, from its size, it was pretty obvious that it was the leader.

"_Ledi, ledian. Led, led, ledian!"_

_"Ledyba! Ledy, ledyba!_"

Ashlyn glanced at me, worry coating her features as she ripped the string keeping my ankles locked together. "What's going on?"

"I think ledyba is trying to talk them down," I whispered, watching as the pokemon defended our case. The ledian, sadly, seemed to be having none of what Ledyba was saying.

"Come on, Ledyba," Ashlyn prayed, her fingers tightening around my leg. I could feel her shaking through my pants.

Ledyba shouted something that we couldn't understand to the ledian and that was when it happened. The bipedal bug's fist erupted in a bright blue light, driving home into Ledyba's chest. It flew backwards and hit the ground in front of us, bouncing and skidding on its front.

"Ledyba!" I shouted. It trembled and stood up, a small bruise beginning to form on its chest. _No, no, no._

Ledyba's wings suddenly appeared, buzzing wildly as it flew straight at Ledian. It drove into it with a hard tackle, bashing it against a tree. Ledian grunted in pain before its fists shone gold, hitting Ledyba with a violent barrage. With one last hit to the chin Ledyba flipped through the air, hitting the tree above my head hard before dropping into my lap.

I cradled it in my arms gently, biting my lip gently. Bruises coated its skin and its breath was ragged. It had been extremely outmatched by that ledian. "You'l be okay Ledyba," I whispered, looking up to see the swarm beginning to close in. I wrapped my arms tight around it, glaring at the rest of the group.

"We are so screwed," Ashlyn whispered, pushing herself against the tree next to me. Her hand gripped the sleeve on my sweatshirt tightly, obviously looking for some kind of support. I looked over at her and nodded slowly.

"We'll be okay."

"Are you lying?"

"Yeah."

She laughed nervously, her grip on my arm loosening a bit. "You really suck at this."

"I know," I laughed gently, making sure to lean over so that the swarm couldn't get to Ledyba. If I was going to do one thing right today, it would be making sure that this pokemon stayed safe. It had put itself on the line for us time and time again today. All for a lousy apple. Loyalty like that deserved some security.

A hard gust of wind suddenly blew passed us, sending the entire swarm flying like they were nothing more than dust. The beating of powerful wings echoed above us, sending dirt into our faces in waves.

I covered my eyes with one hand, looking up to see a large beige bird type pokemon descending to the ground, a long trail of multicoloured hair wafting off its head. A man wearing a traditional styled _kimono _sat on its back, purple hair covering one eye.

"Pidgeot, use whirlwind!" He called out. With a shrill cry the pidgeot flapped its wings, kicking up another powerful blast of wind. Ashlyn screamed and covered her ears as the wind slammed into the bug types, flinging them into the sky. When they finally straightened themselves out they were obviously having no more of this and they took off, heading back to the forest.

The pidgeot descended down next to us and the man stepped off, looking down at us. "You two okay?"

Ashlyn nodded slowly, standing up and dusting herself off. "Thank you for saving us.. Mr..?"

"Falkner," I said for him. Falkner raised an eyebrow in amusement. I stood up myself, wincing at the pain that flashed through me.

"You know me?" He asked, running a hand affectionately through his pidgeot's fur. The pidgeot purred happily, leaning into his touch.

"I know all the gym leaders," I told him, stepping forward. "Sorry to interrupt this introduction but.. Ledyba really needs help." I held the bug type out for him to see. The bruises had only gotten worse and Ledyba's breathing was almost nonexistent. Falkners eyes widened and he nodded, pointing to his partner.

"Climb on," He said. I nodded and did as I was told, holding my hand out to Ashlyn to help her climb aboard. As soon as she had a grip on Pidgeot's fur Falkner took off, rocketing into the sky. We flew high above the trees and, for a brief moment, I wondered if I could touch the stars. The sky was a black canvas around us and, in the distance, I could see the mass of buildings that was Cherrygrove.

I felt Ashlyn tug on the back of my shirt. I turned to see her smiling reassuringly, putting her hand on my shoulder and squeezing.

"Ledyba's going to be okay," She told me. I nodded to her, turning to look at Ledyba. It was still unconscious and I was beginning to get more than worried. I was scared.

"I hope so.."

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**A/N: Okay, so I really liked writing this chapter. I feel like I did a good job on it but you guys are the judges of that, so let me know what you thought? Read and review, sil vous plait!**


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